


Replaced

by VixtheEvil



Series: Antisepticeye and Darkiplier series [9]
Category: Antisepticeye - Fandom, jacksepticeye
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:50:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixtheEvil/pseuds/VixtheEvil
Summary: Jackieboy Man is out doing patrols and trying to gather information on the whereabouts of Jack and Henrik; to help with the other Egos that are searching for them. But during his rounds, he comes across the one that spirited them away. Eager to get answers, Jackie confronts Anti, only for the other to begin to chip at his mind.Things... go to hell for the unlucky Ego."Poor little Ego... you've just been replaced~"





	Replaced

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Back again with another short story! This was inspired by a short, sad fic by Inkrose on tumblr which was based I believe from a drawing someone else did… One was inspired by the other. And this fic was inspired by both. I have the link here, because I reblogged it, it was that damn good. So yeah, link’s here: http://lnkrose.tumblr.com/post/171638933096/jackosean-im-spider-man-thanks
> 
> In this, I want to keep to how Anti is dark, cruel and twisted. As fun as it is to think of him in a romantic figure for lolz… it does water down the character's spark of life. I mean, I can't tell you can't do it but that's just me. 
> 
> I used the 5 Rules of Good and Evil from the book series The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. Its damn good book series. Also used a hook from JT Machinima’s rap ‘Can’t Be Erased’
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*

March 7th, 2018  
  
Jackieboy Man flew out in patrol of Attitude City, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger and crime. It was hard work, sure but the feeling of flight was just one of those things he couldn’t complain about. Jackie hummed softly as he felt the wind rush over his face, ruffling his hair playfully. He loved the feeling of it, the way it seemed to sweep his troubles away.  
  
It seemed all was quiet on the North side of the city. The hero hummed, nodding to himself that that narrowed down his patrol route for the day. He turned and coasted to West side, going counter clockwise for today and see if he can’t catch any criminals off guard. He had figured that going the same route everyday would give the bad guys a schedule to work on and attempt to do crimes when they knew he wouldn’t be around. So to stop that, he always shuffled his routes and times he did them in.  
  
That really shocked the criminals he stopped before.  
  
Figured to do it again today.  
  
He didn’t get far into the West side of the city before he felt a flash of pain go through him.  
  
It was quick but painful, Jackie flinched and curled up in the air to bear it. The pain burned and persisted, forcing him to veer off and land on the roof of a skyscraper. The superhero Ego stumbled a little but kept his balance as he grunted in pain, clutching at the front of his bright red suit and rode it out.  
  
It took a while but the pain subsided, letting him breathe more easily as he panted. He knew that pain… and it concerned him badly.  
  
_‘_ _Do they… do they really like that idea so much..? Did he?’  
  
_ A voice answered for him.  
  
“The question you ought to be really asking, Jackie… is what will you do about it?”  
  
Jackieboy Man jolted in surprise before turning and looking behind him, noticing a figure that wasn’t there before when he landed on the roof. He didn’t need to see to know who it was, he recognized the voice. He went tense, wary of what the figure was there for.  
  
“Anti...” he growled in warning.  
  
The twisted entity merely sat on the roof access doorway, smirking down at him. “Jackie~” he teased, “You look like shit today.” Then added with a giggle, “Something wrong?”  
  
“Yeah, you being here is a wrong.”  
  
“Ooh~” Anti giggled, taking no offense at the reply. Instead, he took out his beloved knife and toyed with it, thumbing the edge to be sure it was always as sharp as he liked it. He took delight at seeing the hero’s reaction to the weapon; seeing him tense then reflexively go into a defensive stance of keeping one side facing him. “Such a fiery response from some that’s not looking so hot himself.”  
  
His smile grew at catching the flinch but pretended to not notice, still toying with his knife.  
  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Jackie shot back, placing his fists on his hips and puffing his chest out. “I’m fine. And I would like it if you let Jack and Henrik go and then leave everyone alone and walk away.”  
  
“And the hero _**lies**_.” the dark persona grinned, ignoring his request of letting his two victims go from where he had them. He placed a hand to his face in mock surprise. “Gasp. What will the children think?”  
  
Another flinch from being caught.  
  
“Ah, who gives a fuck, right?” Anti waved a dismissive hand, “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”  
  
“You didn’t answer mine either.” the hero shot back, eyes narrowing at the entity before him. He had to be careful, there was no telling what the other was up to.  
  
Anti rolled his eyes, “To talk, to gloat and to fuck with your head because I’m bored off my ass.” he sassed back, “Business and pleasure. **Now answer mine.** ”  
  
Jackieboy Man knew exactly which question he was referring to but decided to step around that trap. “Again, I have no idea what you mean.” he lied… again.  
  
Anti laughed, seeing right through the flimsy lie. He smiled down at the hero and shook his head. “Wow, you have to be really scared to not tell the truth, Jackie.” His grin sharpened as he tapped the tip of knife against his cheek, “I thought _**heroes**_ spoke **the truth** and **nothing** but _**the truth**_ ~.” He jeered, “And yet… here _**you**_ are telling _**lies.**_ ”  
  
Jackie’s eyes flickered to the side in guilt that he was breaking his own code in doing so. But he didn’t need to tell Anti anything, right? Of course not. The only one that sat on a throne of lies was the maniac before him.  
  
The entity clicked his tongue, chiding the hero for the lie, smiling at the guilt written plain on the superhero’s stupidly masked face. He was going to enjoy this so very, **very** much~. “Well since the hero won’t answer my question~” He clapped his hands together once, snapping Jackie’s attention back to him. “How about a game then?”  
  
Jackie narrowed his eyes, suspicious but… also curious. One, Anti wasn’t attacking him… yet. Or was he? He couldn’t predict his movements and had no idea of his attack pattern. While this wasn’t the first time they met, Anti never attacked. Taunted and needled at the Egos… but not attack directly. At least not until last year when he attacked Henrik and swept him away along with Jack. Jackie and the remaining Egos had been searching far and wide for them but found nothing.  
  
Maybe this was a chance to glean some information about their whereabouts?  
  
_‘This is gonna be one twisted game, I know it. But we don’t have any leads and this is the best shot we have on this. I have to take it.’_ Jackie thought to himself. “What kind of game?” he asked, caution obviously coloring his words.  
  
Anti smiled, _‘Hook, line and sinker~ Such a good little puppet~’_ “A guessing game.”  
  
_‘Bingo. Information central!’_ The hero smiled, confident. “What kind? Like Twenty Questions?”  
  
“Ehehehe~ Nope.” The entity answered. “Its a game in which I guess what is it that’s currently _eating you alive~_ ”  
  
Jackie froze.  
  
“Let’s _**begin.**_ ”  
  
Anti’s image glitched before it vanished and the Ego felt a chill go down his spine at the fact he _felt_ something sweep past him. He wheeled around, ready to defend against an oncoming attack. But none came. Instead, the entity stood behind him once more, the hero’s phone in his hand and a smirk on his face.  
  
Jackie’s face went pale at seeing the device, his hand going to his hip where he kept it and found it missing.  
  
“Now, Mr. Superhero.” Anti giggled, wagging the phone in his grip, “Could it be… that whatever is eating you alive, right now…” The hero Ego trembled a little, gritting his teeth.  
  
“Give that back.”  
  
“Be on this phone?”  
  
“Anti, give it back.”  
  
Anti ignored the request, grinning away that his reaction rang true. “I’m going to take that as a _‘hell fucking yes.’_ So a point for me~” He chuckled, flicking his thumb across the surface of the phone’s screen to access it. It had a screenlock… but no electronic device was ever safe from Anti’s abilities. He quickly hacked it. “Now let’s see… what it is that’s giving you such a bad day~”  
  
Jackie took a step forward, holding out his hand, shaking but keeping his temper in check. He didn’t want to give the twisted persona any pleasure of seeing him squirm.  
  
But it was too late, Anti had seen his reactions plain as day.  
  
“You’re no fun. But fine...” Anti tossed the phone back to its owner, grinning. “Here.”  
  
Jackieboy Man caught it and looked at it to see what damage the other did with the device. But froze at seeing the illustration of Jack dressed as Spider Man with little adorable Septiceye Sam nearby, watching out for danger for the hero in the alleyway; that was on display on his screen. The pose, the skill, the colors… all beautifully done; but it **hurt** to look at it.  
  
Not his eyes…  
  
But his heart.  
  
Anti smirked to himself, sensing and delighting at the scent of **envy** radiating from the Ego; as he stood frozen, staring at his phone. The entity then began to circle him like a shark, humming to himself. “My my… isn’t that Jack? Dressed as Spider Man?”  
  
Jackie grimaced but nodded, eyes flicking to the side, trying to avoid seeing it but still could from the corners of his eyes. “Yeah. It’s just a fan drawing… for… PMA...”  
  
“Spider Man is Jack’s **favorite hero** , if I recall correctly...”  
  
“Everyone has a favorite hero.” The hero shook his head, attempting to dispel something that clung to his heart. It wasn’t sadness or pain… but it was born from it. And it burned. Jackie had feeling he knew **exactly** what it was. But he didn’t want to examine it any closer, opting to shy away from the feeling. He didn’t like it and that’s all he needed to know. Yet, at the same time, he felt foolish for it. _‘It… it’s just a drawing… nothing big. Jack gets all kinds of fan art. We Egos do too...’  
  
_ “But Spider Man was Jack’s _ **first choice**_ _,_ ” Anti said lazily, circling him still, “To be a superhero Ego… But couldn’t since he didn’t want to have some strike on his channel for that. So he had to come up with something… **lesser** to pull off an Ego. _**An alternate… a**_ _ **replacement**_ _ **...**_ ”  
  
“Gnk...” Jackie winced, that streak of pain lanced through him again, making him hiss and shrink to suppress it. Coupled with that burning in his heart, it made it even more painful. Jack’s ideas sparked by the fan art floated in the Youtuber’s head; the Community cooing at the idea of a Spider Man Jack, they seemed to drill into Jackie’s mind and heart, bringing more pain. A shift in sources of energy for him, it was changing… turning away from him bit by little bit... “Grh...”  
  
Anti still circled him, watching him from the corner of his eyes and grinning at the pain the hero was experiencing. Finally, after all this time. All this eggshell walking around this bastard… finally Anti spotted a chink in the Ego’s armor. The most powerful Ego Jack had, now slowly weakening.  
  
_‘Thank you clueless fucking Puppets~’  
  
_ “I mean, he can’t remember your name half the time, can he?” Anti needled with the question, stopping his tracks to the side of the superhero. He tapped his knife against his lip in mock thought, “What even is your name? Jackieboy Man? Jackaboy Man?”  
  
Jackie grunted, breathing slowly as he recovered but still winced at the ache it left. He still clutched his phone. “It’s _Jackie_ boy Man.” He answered, shaking his head again and kept his eyes on the dark tulpa. “So what if someone drew Jack in… his _**favorite hero’s**_ outfit.” Jackie winced at the tightness of his throat. Why was it so hard to say it? It was common knowledge that Jack favored the famous web-slinger.  
  
It didn’t bother him.  
  
Really.  
  
It… it didn’t.  
  
“It doesn’t mean anything, other than they wanted to make… Jack’s day a… happy one. All the Egos get fan art… even you.” Jackie pointed out, “Jack wouldn’t-”  
  
Anti remained silent as he reached over and swiped his finger to the side, changing the picture from a drawing to… a photo. One of Jack literally dressed in a Spider Man outfit minus the mask and posing for the camera. The superhero Ego sucked his breath in sharply at the image. He had seen it and didn’t want to acknowledge that pang in his heart and had since then avoided seeing the picture again.  
  
But now it was right in his face again.  
  
“Oh… but I think he _**did.**_ ” Anti purred, taking his hand away from the phone and lean close to the Ego to see the screen. Watching this idiot ball of positivity in a shitty, horrid bright red outfit, crack and crumble like the fool he was… was extremely amusing. _‘_ _This is just pure gold.’_ The dark persona was enjoying in smashing that annoying positive facade into bits. He smiled as his shoulder brushed his and felt Jackie flinch. Not from the touch, but the words that stabbed at him.  
  
The tulpa continued to needle him, “And **you know it, don’t you?** ” His smile quirked further at seeing, poor little Jackie have hurt and guilt written on his face. “I mean really, you were nothing but a joke character to him. Just something to pass the time~ I mean look at you.”  
  
Jackie glanced at where his enemy’s hand was and what it was doing. Anti only picked at the hero’s clothing, wrinkling his nose at the fabric before picking and lifting the cape he wore. “What the fuck kind of superhero runs around in a god awful, bright red onesie? A cape that’s made from a blanket or a curtain of all things and a shit mask you can get from any costume store.”  
  
The Ego gritted his teeth. “It’s not lame.”  
  
“Of course not~ Lame is lame. This is **worse**. How are you not embarrassed by this?” The dark persona watched him carefully, noting the grip tightening on the phone. _‘A little more~’_ “I mean I’m sure _Jack_ is embarrassed to wear this for his videos. No wonder he doesn’t appear as ‘Jackieboy Man’ in many.” The grip was tightening. “I mean… look at that outfit~” Anti indicated to the photo that quivered in the air due to Jackie’s muscles coiling and straining themselves to keep from moving. “Now _**that**_ is a **superhero** outfit. Spider Man’s outfit all chic and streamlined for his abili-”  
  
Anti didn’t finish, having to quickly dodge as Jackie crushed the phone in his hand and hurled it in his direction.  
  
_**“SPIDER MAN’S OUTFIT WAS JUST AS**_ _ **PATHETIC**_ _ **IN THE BEGINNING!”**_ Jackie snarled, his temper and… jealously getting the best of him when he threw his phone. The ruined device flew across the roof and smashed against the wall, not only cracking it but turning about half of it into rubble. The phone was completely shattered, bits of it raining down and scattered along the floor of the roof. _**“**_ _ **HE WAS JUST DRESSED UP IN A**_ _ **BRAINLESS HALF-ASSED**_ _ **HOODIE!”  
  
**_ “My my~ Jackieboy Man… are you _**jealous?**_ ” Anti whistled, now sitting on the roof top access-way, resting his head on his hands. He watched as Jackie huffed, breathing past his anger and the pain from the shift of energy again. But he knew he struck gold when the hero winced and looked away.  
  
There was no denying it, the Ego knew that. He was… he was terribly jealous and hurt by the idea of it. That the Community… that **Jack** thought of him as nothing more than a joke. It… _**hurt.**_ As well as the very idea that **envy** was festering within his heart bothered him. He was a hero, that was what he was created to be. A hero. But even heroes weren’t perfect. He nodded in answer to Anti’s question. “I’m human like everyone else. Who… doesn’t get jealous? Even heroes get jeal-”  
  
“But what kind superhero _**loses his temper?**_ ”  
  
Jackie froze. “What?”  
  
Anti looked to the rubble that was once a wall. A wall that had been painted over with a myriad of colors that spun together into very stylish Peace symbol.  
  
Keyword: _**had**_  
  
It was now completely destroyed. Half of it was in shambles, rubble where the phone had impacted the wall. The other half that was still standing had cracks along the bricks, pieces chipping off as the wind blew against it. Jackie stared at the sight, finally catching on what he had done and horrified by the notion. Oh god… he… he did that..? _‘I… I never lost control… I never...’  
  
_ Anti clicked his tongue, chiding the hero once more. _“Temper, temper_ _~ someone forgot their role / and now they lost control~”_  
  
“I… I didn’t...”  
  
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Anti mused, watching the Ego back away slowly from the ruined wall mural. “That a _**hero**_ destroys peace~?”  
  
_“I didn’t mean to...”  
  
_ “Isn’t that something a _**villain**_ does? Destroy peace and property~?”  
  
“I didn’t mean to!” Jackie protested, still staring at the ruined mural, shaken by what he had done. He jolted in surprise as Anti glitched to being in front of him, smiling. He felt anger bubble within him, angry that he had done it, angry that Anti knew of his resentful view of Jack’s favorite hero. Envious that it wasn’t him… “Get away from me...”  
  
“Of course, you didn’t mean to.” The entity replied, tone friendly but there was undertone of wicked glee, “I mean its not _**your fault**_ that you been cast aside to make way for a _**real hero.**_ One that Jack had so desperately wanted to be from the beginning before he had to settle with you.”  
  
“SHUT UP!” Jackie snarled, the hurt, embarrassment, guilt, envy and rage he felt popped again at Anti’s cruel words. He swung his fist at Anti, intending to make him back away, give space and let him breathe. And most of all to **stop talking.**  
  
It didn’t work out as planned…  
  
His fist connected to Anti’s face and sent him flying into the mural, destroying what was left of it completely. Symbolic… given his peace of mind was in shambles itself. He trembled, eyes wide that he once again lashed out in fury.  
  
Was… was he really losing control?  
  
_‘N-no… no I’m not… I didn’t… He’s lying and confusing me...’_ The hero Ego thought shakily, trying to pull his thoughts together, _‘I’m the good guy… Good… Anti’s evil… the villain...’  
  
_ A giggle.  
  
Jackie’s attention snapped back to the pile of rubble on the roof, surprise.  
  
Anti giggled as he pulled himself out, pushing pieces of brick away from himself to step out. He dusted himself and giggled again. The punch, for all the emotion and strength that was in it was only half-hearted and didn’t do as much damage. But **fuck** did it still hurt… just as well, Puppet Week’s power was still coursing through Anti’s body, strengthening him.  
  
He gave the hero a sharp and wild smile. “You broke one of the five rules of Good and Evil, motherfucker~” He laughed as he stalked toward him, transforming his right arm into whip made of dark and shadowy tendril roped together. “ _ **You attacked me first, Jackie~ So let me enlighten you!**_ ”  
  
“The Evil _**attack**_! The Good _**defend**_!” He swung his arm and lashed at the hero Ego twice.  
  
Jackie cried out, stumbling from the double slap. They came way too fast to block.  
  
“The Evil _**punish**_!” He lashed at him twice more before wrapping the whip around Jackie’s waist and lifted him high. “The Good _**forgive**_!” Anti swung his arm downward, yanking the superhero down as well and smashed him into the floor of the roof, leaving a crater.  
  
Jackie cried out in pain but growled, getting to his feet and snatching at the arm before it pulled away completely. He tightened his grip and swung, spinning around and letting go, hurling Anti toward the abandoned district, away from the citizens of Attitude City.  
  
The entity laughed as he soared, his arm wrapping around Jackie’s arm and dragging him with him on the trip. The two of them collided with an abandoned building, parts of the outer structure crumbling away from impact and falling to the empty streets below. Jackie bounced off the side and crashed into the street, narrowly missing having slabs of building falling on him.  
  
He coughed and groaned, picking himself up. “God, that hurt...” He looked around, panting and on the defensive but with so much dust in the air he couldn’t see everything clearly. “Where is he?”  
  
The street rumbled, the buildings around him shook as the Ego knelt to keep his balance, scanning the battlefield quickly to try to pinpoint Anti’s next angle of attack. The cross winds of the skyscrapers made short work on the smog of dust, clearing most of it away for the hero finally spot thin greenish black tendrils peek from the cracks of the building they had bashed into.  
  
“There you are.” Jackie turned to face their direction before more cracks formed around a large chunk of the building, the tendrils burrowing, fracturing it further before breaking it off and throwing it at the Ego. He yelped in surprise, “He’d going to come at me after that chunk…” He’d have to be quick to counter attack if he moved or punched the massive block of building that was bearing down on him fast. “Fuck it.”  
  
The heroic Ego pulled his fist back, waiting a bit before lashing outwards, knuckles making contact with the piece of structure and shattering it. Pieces of concrete and brick flew every which way, dust obscured his vision temporarily but he was ready. His other fist was ready to punch anything that came at him now. The dust was quickly dispersed again by the city winds and Jackie jolted in surprise.  
  
“What the-?!” The tendrils that had shoved the block of rubble at him was reforming into that of a large hand. _‘_ _That’s his hand?! But if that’s his hand then where the hell is-?!’_  
  
A chill ran down his spine.  
  
Oh no…  
  
Anti exploded from from the ground behind Jackie, a wide demonic smile stretched across his face as his eyes flashed a jet black. The heroic Ego twisted around quickly and in shock, trying to beat him to the punch and launch his attack before he did. But he wasn’t fast enough.  
  
“The Evil _ **hurt**_.” The dark persona hissed, giggling insanely. His other hand had lashed out and gripped onto the side of the Ego’s head with enough force to knock the hero off his feet. Tightening his own grip and dug his nails in to get a better purchase of his victim, he pinned the superhero to the street. The tendrils of his other hand retreated back to his body, reforming into his left arm as he swung the arm that held Jackie, pressing down and dragging him across the pavement, leaving a trench in his wake.  
  
Jackie cried out as he was dragged along, the pavement scratched and burned him as the friction scrubbed his skin raw. The outfit gave little in defense on that as the jagged edges ripped at his costume. He growled and grabbed onto the hand on his face, trying to pull it away to escape. Anti only tightened his grip.  
  
“And my, Jackie… you fucking _hurt_ me~” The entity cackled, pressing him further down into the street as he continued to lead him across the street in a circle, going for another pass of the already dug in path and going faster this time. In truth, Anti had made no move to avoid Jackie’s first punch. Taking it in order to shake the Ego’s confidence and let fear dig into him. And it worked. “Not very _**Good**_ of you, Mr. Hero~” He taunted, lifting Jackie’s head once then smashed it to the ground, _“Especially since the Good_ _ **help!**_ _”_  
  
Anti swung and released, watching with a laugh as Jackie slid down the pavement before bouncing, flipping end over end, like a stone skipping on water before plowing into the building at the end of the street. Jackie grunted then coughed as he lay dazed in the rubble. The entity shot forward, relentless, his right arm reforming to that of a large blade. _“Poor little Ego, who thought he was a hero~”_ Anti leaped upward, closing the distance as he pulled his bladed arm back. _“Only to realize he was nothing but a joke, an absolute zero~”  
  
_ Jackie gritted his teeth, ignoring the cuts and injuries he gathered in a short time. He growled, sick of hearing Anti’s taunting. “What the hell do you even know about being a hero?!” He yelled back, rolling to his feet before grabbing up a chunk of rubble and hurled it at Anti. Jackie waited as the entity’s focus turned to the block of concrete coming his way. Using that to his advantage, Jackie shot forward in flight, waiting for that moment.  
  
In a flash of dark light and display of hand work, Anti sliced the piece of rubble into nothing, the pieces falling away harmlessly around him. A dust cloud obscured his vision for a moment, it was blown away by the display of slashing. He cackled, “Nice try~ But it’ll take more than-” Anti’s eyes widen in surprise as Jackie came into view and already poised for a strike. And he was far too close for the darker tulpa to simply dodge or glitch away.  
  
_‘Well shit.’  
  
_ “Fuck off.” Jackie hissed as he twisted in the air, gathering momentum and released it in the form of a powerful axe kick, sending Anti straight into the street. The force of it creating another crater and he heard the entity cry out as he hit the ground. He panted and growled, “You know _**nothing**_ about being a hero, Anti. When all you ever do is hurt and destroy!” He shot downward, pulling his arm back for a punch. “Say what you will about me but I want you to return Jack and Henrik! SO GIVE THEM BACK!”  
  
Anti was barely on his feet by the time Jackie collided with him again, fist flying and smashing the entity back to the pavement and through it. Both shooting down to land in the sewers below. The entity laid crumpled on his side, seemingly defeated; Jackie huffed and winced in pain but reached down and hefted him up by the front of his shirt. “If you’re done with your bullshit, Anti...” the hero grunted, “Give Jack and Henrik back. That’s all we want. Just give them back, unhurt and in one piece.”  
  
Anti sagged in his grip before chuckling, _**“E e h e h e h a h a h a a~”**_  
  
The hero hissed, “The hell are you laughing for? Just give them back!”  
  
“Ahahaha~” Anti lifted his head and looked at Jackie, looking far less damaged than the heroic Ego. He grinned sharply, “Why? You’re awfully desperate for them back~”  
  
“Of course I am! They’re my friends and -”  
  
“WRONG!” Anti glitched out of the other’s grip, laughing, “Its not what’s in your mind is it, Jackie~?” He taunted, grinning as Jackie suddenly felt that streak of pain, one that caused his heart to skip a beat. He gasped, faltering as he clutched the front of his costume, feeling weaker. “You’re actually really desperate to prove them all wrong, aren’t you~?”  
  
“That’s not-”  
  
“Yes it is~” Anti interjected, grinning hugely, looming over him. “Your thoughts in your head? They’re thinking of..” He chuckled and began speak, only in…  
  
Jackie’s voice.  
  
_“I’ll prove them all wrong...”_ He lashed out and grabbed Jackie by the neck, giggling. Puppet Week was still in effect. _“_ _I’ll prove them all that I_ _ **am a hero.**_ _That I’m just as good as Spider Man_ _if not_ _ **better.**_ _That I’m_ _ **not just a joke!**_ _”  
  
_ “GAK!” Jackie gasped, one hand on Anti’s wrist to try to pry it away, the other clutched the spot over his heart, the pain still streaking through him. He felt weaker… and he could feel the surge of power coursing through the entity. _‘Sonofa… Damn Puppet Week! Why now?!’  
  
_ Anti jerked him to his feet then held him up, so that he dangled. He continued in Jackie’s voice. _“If I can_ _ **rescue**_ _Jack and Henrik… even_ _ **beat Anti…**_ _then… then people will_ _ **love**_ _me again.”_  
  
“Stop… it...” Jackie hissed, wishing he could block the words out. Block out what he was thinking. But there they were, exposed for him to hear. How was he even knowing his thoughts?  
  
The tulpa laughed, _“That_ _ **Jack will love me again.**_ _That… that he won’t_ _ **replace me…**_ _So that_ _ **I**_ _won’t be_ _ **tossed aside and left to fade**_ _.”  
  
“STOP IT!”  
  
_ “That’s a very **selfish** wish, isn’t it, Jackie?” He taunted again, grinning as Jackie struggled in his grip, “That sound likes the thoughts of a **villain!** Rule number four~ The Evil _**take**_ _._ ” Anti brutally slammed his free fist into Jackie’s stomach. The hero gasped, eyes wide as a splash of blood flew from his mouth. Chuckling, Anti repeated the brutal punch several more times before dropping him and swinging his fist upward, catching the Ego in his jaw in violent uppercut.  
  
Backed by the energy gathered from Puppet Week, Jackie shot into the sky by the force, seeing stars in more ways than one as the sun set. The hero didn’t go that far as Anti leaped back up to street level and held his hand out, letting it stretch out to snatch his victim from the air. His hand split in half and reformed into a what looked like a crude bear trap. “Heehehhee~ Such a naughty hero~ Wanting to **take** attention by doing such a foolish thing~”  
  
The bear trap snapped, clamping down on Jackie’s midsection, the teeth digging deeply into him. He screamed in agony, feeling one of his ribs snapping from the force. “The Good _**give**_ _. Sad little soul, who was loved and a hero people cherish / Now nothing more than_ _a boy,_ _vain and selfish!”  
  
_ He brought his arm down, whipping the hero into another building. His hand broke into one of the higher floors and grinned wickedly, lifting and crushing his victim again into the same floor, smashing through it and into the next. The force of it cracked the entire building before it couldn’t even support itself, toppling backwards with a roaring crash, collapsing into another building behind it.  
  
Anti pulled him out the rubble, amused that as injured and half conscious, Jackie remained defiant. Broken, bloody and weak… but defiant. It both irritated the living hell out of Anti but also made him giddy to see such resistance. _‘About fucking time. It was getting a bit boring with things going my way all the time. Still… persistent little fuck.’_ “You still alive there?”  
  
“F-f… fuc… fuck you...” Jackie wheezed, glaring at his opponent. He was officially running on fumes, exhausted, in pain… mentally beaten down. Physically feeling like a rag doll in a dog’s mouth. He, himself, was surprised he was still conscious. But then he knew he couldn’t keep taking hits like this.  
  
“I’ll give you points for being tenacious, Jackie… but it can only get you so far~”  
  
He wasn’t wrong, Jackie knew that for certain. His entire body screamed for him to just stop… to lay down and let it rest. It couldn’t go on. But he ignored it, braced his arms and began to push against the twin clamps that made up the bear trap, slowly opening them and he gasped in pain as the teeth brushed against his bruised and torn flesh.  
  
Anti blinked in surprise then frowned, attempting to close the bear trap his hand became to try to crush Jackie in his grip. But he was doubly surprised as Jackie resisted and forced his hand to open, dropping between the clamps and escape the trap as it snapped shut again. Anti grunted, letting it reform back to his normal arm.  
  
He didn’t want to admit it, but the fight was actually wearing on him. Even with the fools of the Community cheering him on through Puppet Week, Anti was getting damaged and winded. The extra boost in strength and energy could only stave off so much damage before it couldn’t do it any longer. Not that it made him weak, but he wasn’t going to let the heroic moron here know that. “Surprise surprise~”  
  
Jackie crumpled into a heap, gasping and groaning in pain, everything in him wanting to just drop and not move, but he forced himself to his feet, swaying. The world tilted and spun, even blurring into a double image. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear his head. “You… have… n-no… idea… w-wha-what I’m… ca-capable of...”  
  
“I know **exactly** what you’re capable of, Jackie~” Anti rocked back and forth on his feet before dashing forward, bladed tendrils replacing his right arm. Jackie hissed, spinning to one side, dodging the most of the vicious slash that the darker persona had tried to inflict on him. The tip of the blade still nicked his side, earning pained cry as it left a shallow cut.  
  
It didn’t help with his vision or his injuries from the bear trap; but it did help in gather momentum for his punch to Anti’s back, sending him flying forward to roll along the street. But even then, Anti was still laughing, bladed arm gouging the street to slow his speed and allow him roll to his feet. “So much **hatred** in your heart, oh so true and noble hero~”  
  
“The hell I do!” Jackie shot back, launching himself at his opponent, ignoring the protests of his battered body. Anti didn’t move, grinning widely as his arm reformed back to normal. As the heroic Ego flew at him, the entity merely stood his ground then quickly lifted and caught the other’s fists. Jackie growled, switching from keeping his hands balled into fists to grapple in return, the two super powers clashing in a battle of strength. But one was more battered than the other.  
  
Anti giggled. He knew who was going to win this. “Oh… but you do~ You admitted to it earlier… so angry and jealous… your temper back there with that poor defenseless mural proved it~”  
  
“You fucking pushed me, Anti and you know it!”  
  
“A true hero never loses his temper or control. I mean… you didn’t even look where you threw your phone, did you? What if that wall had been a poor innocent civilian?”  
  
“I… I would **never-** ”  
  
“Now now, don’t lie~ Its not befitting of a hero.” Anti grinned, pushing against Jackie’s hands in attempt to force the other to his knees. “Then again you **never were one.** ”  
  
“Don’t give me that bullshit, **I** **know I’m a hero.** ”  
  
“Did it feel good? To release all that pent up rage?”  
  
Jackie remained silent as he pushed back, refusing to give up even though his body just wanted to stop.  
  
“I bet it did~ All your frustration, taken out on something that couldn’t fight back~” Anti pressed, “Was all of that really from you being so _**jealous?**_ Perhaps that _**hatred**_ too? I don’t blame you...”  
  
“I don’t have hatred!” The Ego snapped back, pushing harder, causing to Anti to slide back a bit.  
  
The entity laughed, “Someone’s lying~! Come on now… there’s not enough PMA in the world to hide that ugly stain you know you have~” He pushed back, forcing Jackie to slide backwards a bit more than Anti had been shoved back. He noticed that the hero Ego was favoring one side and grinned sharply. He began to bend and press on that side, putting pressure on it. Pain flashed across Jackie’s face at the change of angle, hissing softly as he tried to ease on it without breaking their stalemate.  
  
“The only hatred I have, is for you Anti. You kidnapped two my friends and terrorized the Community-”  
  
“The very **same** Community that just abandoned you.” Anti spat back, grinning. He shifted suddenly, pulling one of the hero’s hands toward him, throwing him off balance momentarily. Just as fluidly, he shoved the arm back, forcing Jackie to twist his body to accommodate the change, stretching and aggravating his favored side.  
  
The Ego cried out in anguish, one knee buckling briefly. But it was enough, and Anti pounced at the window of opportunity, bearing down on him further. “Face it, you worthless fuck. The Community abandoned you… _**Jack**_ abandoned you… for a _**real hero.**_ One idolized by millions the world over and _**earned**_ that love for years before you were ever even a spark of an idea in anyone’s mind!”  
  
Jackie flinched but glared back, but there was that fear in his eyes. That fear that he was truly abandoned and left behind to rot with no one caring. That no one… that no one no longer cared he existed. Anti saw that and stared back in return, unblinking. “That’s not-”  
  
“The only one lying here, is **you,** Jackie. You know fucking well that what I’m saying is true.” The tulpa hissed with a smile, “ **You** weren’t the first choice. **You** were the replacement when Jack couldn’t have what he wanted earlier. **You** were a **joke** to pass the time, to have some ‘hero’ for him to toy with.”  
  
Jackie shook. “Don’t fucking-”  
  
“ **You are** _ **nothing**_ to these people. Just a toy to play with then toss aside once something better comes along. Face the facts, Wannabe Hero. You’re a joke. You’re a worthless piece of trash. A shitty whimsical fantasy that **no one** wants anymore. _**You’re old news.**_ ”  
  
Anti could see his greatest threat to taking control of everything, cracking before him. He giggled in thrill, enjoying his victory. Seeing that Jackie was silent, letting the words sink in, the entity continued with his emotional and mental assault, tearing through barriers and ripping apart the Ego’s confidence. Hissing and whispering how the Community that had once adored the silly but pure hero turn their backs as they offered Jack the idea of becoming his ultimate favorite superhero.  
  
Without the fear of a strike hitting his channel, Jack was head over heels in love with the idea of becoming Spider Man. To create a **real superhero** Ego and go off on wild adventures with little Sam by his side. A sure sign that _**no one**_ wanted to see Jackieboy Man again. That Jack had grown bored with the Ego and his flimsy outfit, that he avoided being him in videos as much as possible to **forget** he existed.  
  
Within Jackie’s mind, hearing the words was tearing his world apart, cracking and shifting, threatening to collapse right from underneath him. His entire image… his entire existence was a **lie** and a **farce…** That he never was meant to be taken seriously, to be actually seen as a hero. Just a clown… a jester made to make people laugh for a short time.  
  
The entire time, he didn’t even realize he was on his knees, no longer putting effort to defeat Anti; far too wrapped up in his thoughts. His arms dangling uselessly in the entity’s grip, but he still grappled… but it wasn’t one to prove his strength. His fingers gripped Anti’s in what seemed like desperation; his world was falling apart in his mind and the tulpa’s hands were the only anchor he could feel that was real. And he clung to that without even realizing he was doing so.  
  
_‘They… they don’t… want me anymore… They… never cared…’_ Jackie thought in fright _,_ anxiety eating away at him, _‘I thought… I thought they did… I thought they loved me…’_ But he shook his head, denying it. It couldn’t be could it? Would they really throw him aside for… someone better? Would Jack really create a new superhero Ego and leave him behind? Or would Jack change his perspective of the Ego? Force him to become Spider Man to fit the Community’s ideals and his own? To abandon everything that made him who he is for a comic book character?  
  
It didn’t sound like something that Jack would do… but then… He remembered how happy Jack had been, how his eyes lit up at the idea of becoming Spider Man because of that fanart piece. And suddenly it made logical sense that it would be something he would do. _‘No…_ _no..h-he wouldn’t… right? He wouldn’t do that to me… to any of the Egos. He wouldn’t abandon us… he loves us… loves that I’m the hero ego… It… it can’t be true...’_ “You’re lying...” Jackie whispered shakily, fear lacing his words and not at all confident.  
  
“Am I?” Anti inquired, tilting his head before smiling, “Then let’s hear his own words then, shall we?” The entity spoke again in Jack’s voice, reciting words from a video the Youtuber had made some time ago. _“ And he even goes by Jackieboy Man.” _He purred, noticing Jackie’s eyes widen at the words. That this was no mistake. The hero Ego vaguely remembered the video, “ _I called him that because it was the_ _ **stupidest**_ _name I could think of. Because it’s like- it’s_ _ **not a SUPERHERO name**_ _. Jackieboy Man.”  
  
_ Jackie was cracking further, fractures webbing across his mind, he couldn’t handle another blow. “Stop...” he whispered, he didn’t want to hear more. “...please… _just_ _ **stop…**_ _”  
  
_ Anti shook his head, smile still plastered on his face, taking the time to try and recover his own strength. He continued to jab at the Ego’s self-worth, needle and pick. Ripping him down into nothing. “ _Cause the_ _ **whole idea**_ _of Jackieboy Man when I started it off, was to try and make_ _ **something**_ _as_ _ **ridiculous**_ _as possible.”  
  
_ Jackie trembled, eyes wide as he stared up at Anti, tears sliding down his face. He remembered those words… when Jack had said them in videos. But he had ignored them since Jack still seemed to enjoy being him, that the Community still loved him. So he turned a blind eye to the words and eventually… forgot they existed, that they were ever said. Did… Did Jack really still think of him like that? “I… I-I… _No…._ ”  
  
“See?” Anti crooned with a wicked grin, “A mere joke and nothing else~ He never loved you… and the Community helped him throw you away… They want nothing more to do with you~”  
  
The Ego screamed in anguish, hands flying to clutch at his head, his world shattering into pieces and dissolving. It had been true… all along he was nothing to them. Just a toy… just a joke… nothing but little childish dream no one wanted.  
  
He slumped, no longer fighting with him being battered and broken in more ways than one. Anti cackled as he hefted the heroic Ego up by the front of his torn and bloody outfit. _“Poor little hero, broken and disgraced~ / The Community thought of you as a waste of space~ /_ _Such a shame, you’ve_ _just_ _been replaced~”  
  
_ Jackie didn’t respond, staring right through Anti as if he wasn’t there, staring into nothing as he spiraled into a hell he couldn’t escape. Anti chuckled, pleased with the outcome. “Oh well, biggest threat has been removed, time for the others~.” He chuckled again to himself, “Let’s see how well they can handle being...”  
  
Anti paused, blinking at his next words before his smile stretched and warped into a demonic and twisted grin. “Ooh-hoo~ _**I-dea~!**_ ”  
  
He looked up at Jackie, who still hung limp in his grip and cackled deviously. “This is going to be rich~ Turning the tables on them.”  
  
He reached up and tapped the spot over the hero’s heart. _“_ _Sad little hero, shamed and defaced / Tainted by hatred that can’t be erased~”_ Anti cackled, seeing Jackie respond, twitching, his own body slowly glitching as the entity’s influence flooded his system. It crawled along, changing the outfit, changing his behavior, his feelings. Suppressing everything good to bring about the negativity. _“If_ _ **heroes**_ _are what the fools wish to be~ / Then a_ _ **villain**_ _is what they’ll get from me~”  
  
_ Jackie’s eyes changed from bright blue to black and green, Anti’s power and influence digging its fangs deep within him.  
  
Anti laughed, “Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen~! You JUST **ERASED** THE **ONLY EGO** **CAPABLE** OF **DEFEATING ME!** ” He crowed, dropping Jackie to land in a heap on the ground. “ **Thank you** EVER so much for **YOUR** COOPERATION, MY PUPPETS! _**E h e e h a h a h a a~!**_ ”


End file.
